


Under the Locks

by Binary_Sunset



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens (2015)
Genre: Alcohol, Ben isn't Force-Sensitive, Hux and Rey get along surprisingly well, M/M, Non-Graphic Violence, Redemption, Smuggler Ben Solo, minor one sided Ben/Poe, the First Order is terrible and their propaganda is terrifying
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-06-16
Updated: 2016-06-19
Packaged: 2018-06-09 19:55:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 14,327
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6920839
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Binary_Sunset/pseuds/Binary_Sunset
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Ben Solo takes an interest in the Resistance's new prisoner.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Part I: "What a Peculiar State We're In"

**Author's Note:**

> All titles from [Au Revoir](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QBbcl05Bx1U) by OneRepublic. It had no actual role in inspiring this fic, but I was listening to it the other day and thought some of the lines were really fitting. It also has this really mellow sound and overarching theme of starting over again. (It's also from objectively the best OneRepublic album, so go give that whole thing a listen if it sounds like your cup of tea.).
> 
> It was actually inspired by [ this awesome art ](http://lazy-afternooner.tumblr.com/post/140392964301/twitter-doodles-if-kyle-ron-wasnt-force-sensitive) by lazy afternooner.
> 
> Special thanks to [ the one true beta ](http://nightquills.tumblr.com) for reading this thing.
> 
> I'm not sure if this fic is actually Kylux, since "Kylo" is technically Ben Solo here. What would that ship be called? Solux?

“You know, when Poe said we’d managed to capture a First Order general, I was expecting Grand Moff Tarkin or something.”

The prisoner was startlingly young, barely older than Ben, with a shock of red hair and a slight frame that barely seemed to fill out his uniform.

He laid on his cot, avoiding Ben’s gaze. Apparently, he hadn't said a word since Poe used him as a hostage to escape his capture on the Finalizer (with the help of a Stormtrooper Ben had yet to meet and a scavenger girl who rescued them after they crashed. Leave it to Poe motherfucking Dameron to pick up not one, but _two_  partners after being captured).

Ben rapped gently on the cell doors. “Come on, General, I brought you something to eat.”

The food… wasn't much. The Resistance's resources were scarce, especially now that the war was in full swing. Supply routes were an easy target for First Order attacks, and they weren't shy about crippling their enemy. This bowl of watery porridge was just about the only thing left to eat on the base.

The man turned his head, casting a suspicious gaze in Ben’s direction. His eyes were a cloudy grey, and his face seemed to have a permanent expression of disdain. He was beautiful, though, pale and delicate like porcelain.

No, Ben, don't hit on the second most powerful man in the First Order. Even if he's cute.

The prisoner’s eyes flicked downwards, looking at the porridge and then back at Ben with disdain.

He crossed his arms. “Hey, I know it's probably not what you're used to, but it's the best we got right now. And it only gets worse when it's cold.” He pushed one bowl of porridge through the meal slit in the cell door started working on the other, stirring it to remove a film that had already started to form.

The general didn't move, just continued to stare Ben down accusatorially.

Why wasn't he eating? Sure the food was disgusting but…

Oh.

“It's not poisoned or anything. Look.” He took a spoonful from each bowl and ate them. “See? Fine.” Ben pushed one of the bowls into the cell.

The general’s eyes flicked towards the bowl and back towards Ben. Never missing his gaze, Hux grabbed the bowl and spoon.

Ben sat back and started to work on his porridge. It was lukewarm and had the texture of glue, but it was better than starvation.

The officer continued to stare at him, not making a motion to eat his food.

The smuggler’s son sighed. “What's the problem now?”

He said nothing and didn't break eye contact.

“What, are you allergic to something? It's just powdered rations. Pretty sure you guys serve the same stuff to your troops.”

No reaction from the general.

“Come on, I really don’t want you to starve to death. You don't have to talk to me or anything, but please eat.”

The officer continued to stare Ben down, but slowly started to eat his porridge.

“Thank you.”

The general’s eyes softened for a moment before he started eating again.

A smile played at Ben’s lips as he swallowed the porridge. This general really was something else. Giving everyone the silent treatment and refusing to eat. What, exactly, did the First Order teach its people?

After a few silent minutes, the general passed his bowl through the slit in the cell door. Empty, with semi-hardened porridge sticking to the sides.

Ben smiled at him. “See, not so bad, right?”

The prisoner looked at him with that same expression of disdain as before.

Ben laughed. “Alright, alright. I’ll leave. As promised.”

He grabbed the empty bowl and left the containment room.

 

**•••**

 

He’d gotten the general to eat for the last couple of days, with less and less cajoling each time. The other man had never spoken a word to him, though he’d once groaned softly at the sight of Ben, which he considered progress.

“Morning, general. Guess who's back?” He flashed the prisoner a smile, before putting the tray down. “We also got a new shipment of food, so lucky for you, all of this is fresh.”

The officer looked over at him, lids heavy with sleep. His usual look of disdain was softened.

Ben’s heart jumped. He looked beautiful.

Flushing, he started to search around in his pockets. “I, uh… I snuck you some extra fruit too.” He placed a handful of dark blue berries on the tray and popped one into his mouth. “They grow out in the jungle. They're sweet.” He pushed the tray through the slit on the door.

The general eyed him suspiciously.

“Don't worry, I have more.” He pulled the remaining berries out of his pocket and started to eat them. They were the kind of berries with juice that stained your lips and fingertips if you ate enough of them. Despite the berry’s natural tartness, the juice was sweet in small doses.

The officer started eating, slowly, never breaking eye contact with Ben.

It was good. He barely had to say anything.

Ben waited until the officer was almost done with his meal. “By the way,” he started, “I just want to know what I should call you.”

The general looked up at Ben, putting his fork down.

“I know I could just ask Poe your name or something, but I'd rather hear it from you.”

He started eating again, ignoring Ben.

“Come on, don't make me beg! I just wanna know your name!”

He mumbled something without looking at Ben, barely audible.

“Could you say that again, please?”

The officer looked up, his grey eyes catching the light _just so_. He really was stunning. “Hux.”

“Hux,” Ben repeated, “General Hux. Are you related to Commandant Hux?”

The prisoner scoffed and passed his tray back.

“I’m Ben, by the way.” He knelt down and gathered the plates, noticing that all the berries had been eaten. “I’d like it if you talked to me more often. I always feel a little crazy, talking to myself like this.”

Hux chuckled, a sound that barely registered, even in the quiet of the holding room.

Ben smiled to himself, carrying the dishes out of the room. For a moment there, he saw a smile flash across the General’s face.

 

**•••**

 

That night at dinner, Ben came back with another meal (meat, this time, with some sort of starchy root vegetable on the side) and another pocket full of berries to share.

He passed the tray through the door, as usual, and started to work on his own food, popping berries in his mouth. “Just so you know, I'm not going to be here for a while. Dad and I are going offworld for a smuggling run.”

Hux looked up and raised an eyebrow.

“An old friend of Dad’s called in a favour, and the Falcon needs a copilot. Anyway, it's gonna take a few days. Can you promise me you'll eat?”

He locked eyes with Ben, a scowl returning to his face.

“You don't have to talk, or even be nice to whoever's giving it to you, just eat it, okay? Can you promise me that?”

Hux cut a piece of the meat and took a bite. “Han Solo is your father?”

“Yeah, but I don't see-”

“And General Organa is your mother.” It wasn't a question.

Ben nodded. “Now can you answer me, please?”

The general seemed to take his sweet time with the next bite. It felt like an eternity before he spoke his answer, locking eyes with Ben. “I'll eat.”

“Thank you.”

They continued eating in comfortable silence, Hux keeping his eyes trained on Ben.

“You look like him,” Hux stated, almost out of nowhere.

Ben raised an eyebrow. “What?”

“Han Solo, in the old holos. You look like him.”

Ben blinked. He'd been told his father had been quite a looker in his younger years, but he wasn't quite sure what to make of that comment coming from a First Order general of all people.

Was it an attempt at flirting? Or was that just wishful thinking on his part?

“Uh, thanks. Though that's not really a surprise, he _is_  my father.”

A flicker of something travelled across Hux’s face before an expression of contempt returned. “I'm guessing you've also inherited his penchant for sticking his nose where it doesn't belong and an inability to improvise effectively.”

Ben crossed his arms. “Oh come on, that was _one_ time. It's not his fault someone posted that all over the holonet!”

Hux cleared his throat. “We had a slight weapons malfunction, but we’re all fine here. How are you?” It was a pitiful impression of Han, as the general struggled to suppress his Coruscanti accent.

It caught Ben almost completely off guard. He’d heard the infamous audio clip before, captured by some Stormtrooper on the Death Star over thirty years ago. He hadn't expected a First Order general of all people to have access to it.

He couldn't help but laugh so hard he was struggling for air. Hux really was something else.

He noticed a small smile creep across the other man’s face. Good. Mission accomplished.

Ben took a few deep breaths, trying to come to after that strange interaction with Hux. “I'm better than my dad when it comes to that sort of thing. My mom taught me how to debate and stuff before we had to pack up and help the Resistance. I was actually thinking of becoming a senator before we got caught up in this whole mess.”

“You'd want to stand around and argue and get nothing done for a living?” Hux asked. Ben could tell it was meant as a joke, but there was still a surprising amount of bile in his voice.

Still, Ben gave him a toothy smile. “Of course. It's the best job there is.”

The general _tsk_ ’d mockingly. “Don't be lazy, Ben. You know, your parents worked very hard to be on top of the Empire’s hit list.” He pushed the empty tray and utensils through the slit.

Ben rolled his eyes and started to stack Hux’s plates on top of his own. He started to head out of the room.

“You're going to come feed me before you go tomorrow, right?” the general asked as he was almost halfway out the door.

Ben nodded. “‘It might be a bit early, though.”

“Good, because I wouldn't trust that Poe Dameron character to keep a goldfish alive.”

 

**•••**

 

Ben woke up before dawn, hoping to get some breakfast from the kitchen before he and his father left D’Qar.

He left the barracks, opting to find food in the jungle as opposed to waking whoever was on kitchen duty. No sapient being should be awake before sunrise on D’Qar, especially since there was no moon. Ben, strangely enough, actually found himself really enjoying the early morning gloam. The usual activity of the base hand slowed to a hush. For once, he could actually hear the wind through the trees and he made his way through the forest, a small glowrod in hand to guide his way.

He picked a few berries and started to head down to the base. Ben was able to finish them before heading into the cafeteria and making himself a cup of caf.

The caf served in the Resistance base wasn’t exactly spectacular. It was instant garbage, the same stuff Han kept stashed on the Falcon, but it gave him the energy he needed to be his father’s copilot.

Hux’s cell was an offshoot of the basement of the base, perfectly situated so that a prisoner wouldn’t be able to see any sort of activity or overhear military decisions. The isolation and lack of light made it amazingly depressing — only a few rays of sunlight ever got in through the grated slit that served more as an oxygen port than as a window.

Ben opened the door to the holding cell slowly, steaming mug of caf still in hand. He placed it carefully on the floor beside him and clicked on his light.

Hux was asleep on the cot, breathing softly. Between the soft glow of the pre-dawn sky slipping through the window and the white light of Ben’s glowlight, he looked strangely beautiful. Sleep was the only time that Ben had seen Hux look genuinely vulnerable. It was almost surreal, seeing a feared First Order general curled up in bed a few hours before first light.

He stirred slightly, probably responding to the light.

“General, are you asleep?”

The general stirred and whined quietly.

“I know, I know. It’s early. You’d probably be chewing me out if you were more awake. I just wanted to say goodbye before I left.”

Hux rolled over, staring at Ben with half-open eyes. He let out an annoyed, half asleep grunt.

“Alright, I’m leaving. I should be back in a few days. Feel free to give Poe Hell if he doesn’t feed you. Tell him I said it was okay.”

Hux let out another noncommittal noise before turning his body away from Ben.

Ben picked up his caf from the floor and took a sip, smiling to himself. Hux was surprisingly cute when he was sleepy. Hair mussed up, half asleep. No feared member of the First Order had any right to be that adorable.

And deadly. According to their records, the man had killed 3 of his fellow students at academy by the time he was 17. Also he’d been a bit of a beanpole back then, tall and pale and more than a little gangly. He'd filled out nicely since--not that Ben had been looking, of course. He'd looked up Hux for purely tactical reasons.

On top of that, his views on the Republic were chilling. In a way, Ben was glad he’d been captured. A man like that in a position of power could only spell bad news for the Republic, his homeworld, and everywhere he’d gone traveling with his mother over the years. Hux believed democracy bred disorder and inefficiency (which, as Ben knew from sitting in on Senate meetings, wasn't far from the truth) and aimed to destroy everything his mother stood for.

Scary, but Hux the general and Hux the prisoner were drastically different. There were no lectures on the evils of the Republic, no high-minded commentary on the glory of the old Empire. Barely a mention of any form of government, really. Just jokes and light conversation.

Despite his dislike for Hux as a figurehead, Ben did genuinely like talking to him. There was a small pang in his heart as he finished his caf and left the mess hall. He wouldn’t be seeing Hux for a while, and there was no way to know for sure how he was being treated. He'd known his mother would never condone the mistreatment of a prisoner, but that wouldn't stop some of his fellow Resistance fighter from taking a swing at him if they wanted to.

Hux had made a lot of enemies. Even more so, now that Finn was speaking out about the treatment of Stormtroopers under his programme.

As dawn started to break, Ben walked onto the launch pad to find his father working on the Falcon.

Ben pat his father’s shoulder, causing him to jerk up suddenly and hit his head on the ship, swearing loudly. He moved out from under the Falcon to look at his son.

“Stars above, Ben. Warn me next time!”

Ben chuckled. “Sorry, sorry. Didn’t mean to scare you.”

Han rubbed his head. “Don’t worry about it. I’m surprised you're up this early. I usually have to blast you out of bed before sunrise.”

“Yeah, I wanted to get some caf before I left and take a walk.”

“And the fact that the prisoner is being held near the mess had _absolutely nothing_  to do with it, I'm sure.”

Ben felt his face flush. “Hux has nothing to do with it.”

“Son, listen,” Han said, laying a hand on his son’s shoulder, “I've known you since you were born. I knew you were in love with Poe Dameron before you did yourself. And now you've got the same look in your eye you did back then.”

His face only got hotter. Ben reached his hands up, trying to hide it.

He didn't _want_  to have this stupid crush on Hux. He really didn't. But the damn bastard was so charming and had come to trust Ben more than anyone else on the base. It was hard not to like him.

Ben groaned into his hands. “Please don't tell Mom.”

Han chuckled. “Benny, if _I_  figured it out, you bet your mother already has.” His face steeled, suddenly serious. “But, look, I know that you like him, and that's fine. Just keep in mind that he might try to use it against you. A guy like that, trained to be a manipulative killer, he's bad news. You have to keep your wits about you.”

Ben took a deep breath, his eyes trained to the ground. “I know. That's what I'm worried about too. But I’ve met enough con men to know when I'm being manipulated. If he wants to use me, he's gonna have a tough time.”

Han looked over Ben, his face suddenly riddled with worry. “I hope you're right.” He turned to the Falcon. “Anyway, can you hand me that spanner? She's going to need some work before we leave for Kessel.”


	2. Part II: "How Many Moves to Checkmate"

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> While Ben is away, Poe is put in charge of Hux

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Edit: Forgot to add in the italics. Fixed now.
> 
> Edit 2: Bolded BB8's dialogue.

Poe Dameron was eating breakfast in the mess hall, sitting at a table alone with Rey and Finn. He always felt a bit guilty, not sitting with the other pilots, but he also needed to make sure that the two of them were able to transition to living on the Resistance Base. Poe was aware of the rumours flying around, about Finn secretly being a double agent or Rey some sort of First Order sleeper agent. They were unfounded, but he wanted to keep a close eye on the two of them in case someone decided to cause trouble--at least until everything blew over.

It was while eating some porridge with fresh fruit (and watching Rey’s face light up, like it always did when she ate anything other than powdered rations) that he felt something nudge against his leg, accompanied by BB8’s high-pitched beeps and whines.

 **”Friend Poe, did Scary Prisoner Man receive refuelling? Friend Benny went away with Mister Solo this morning** **."**

Poe slammed his fist on the table. “Oh fuck!”

Finn and Rey both jumped.

“What did he say?” Finn asked, the only one at the table unable to speak binary.

“Ben left before dawn, and I have to go feed the prisoner before he gets pissy with me.” He started to ramble as he frantically gathered any food he could get his hands on. “Do you think he’ll try to kill me if I’m late? I heard he was pretty brutal on his ship and everyone gets grumpy when they’re hungry. I mean, he doesn’t have any weapons in his cell, but I’m sure he’d be able to improvise--”

“There was a rumour that he once killed a man with a disposable knife,” Finn offered, earning him a swat from Rey.

“Finn, I appreciate the effort, but I don’t think that little tidbit is exactly going to help.” Poe took his hastily-assembled breakfast tray and started walking out of the main cafeteria and towards the stairs to the basement. He turned to look at the two of them. “If I’m not back in ten minutes, call the General.”

When Poe arrived, Hux was laying down on his back, running his hand through the daylight streaming through the oxygen grate. He didn’t seem to notice that Poe had entered the room.

“Hey, Hux, I brought you breakfast,” he announced, silently adding _please don’t try to tear my throat out with your fingernails_.

The officer looked at him, his face a mixture of shock, confusion, and suspicion.

Poe put the tray on the floor in front of his cell. “Do you have something you want to say?”

Hux locked eyes with Poe and moved to the front of his cell, slipping his fingers through the bars.

Poe felt his fight or flight instincts start to kick in as he realised exactly how _close_  the officer was, what he could probably do to him with just about anything in this room.

Hux’s fingers curled around the spoon on the tray, eyes still locked with Poe’s.

Poe’s breathing stopped, a thousand different scenarios darting through his mind. Hux could kill him, he was sure. He’d done it with a disposable knife, he was sure a spoon wasn’t too much of a stretch.

As if the little droid could sense his discomfort, BB8 whirred aggressively and charged at the cell.

Hux jumped back like an animal, dropping the spoon as he did so. He landed hard on his back and looked up at Poe.

Seeing this as his opportunity to get away, Poe shoved the tray into the cell with his foot and ran off with BB8 at his heels. He bolted through the dining hall and sat down at his place with Rey and Finn.

“I’m guessing things went well,” Rey quipped, her tone deadpan.

Poe crossed his arms. “Hey, he is a scary, scary man.”

“And what are you going to do with his dishes once he’s finished eating?” she asked, eyebrow raised.

Poe threw his hands in the air. “You know what, Rey, if you're so fearless, how about you do it.”

Poe had meant it as a joke, though it had come out much more bitter and angry than he intended. Rey did _not_  seem to be laughing.

Rey shrugged. “Sure, I'll do it.”

“What!?” Finn and Poe said at the same time.

“I'm not afraid of him. I knew men like him on Jakku. Crime bosses, gang leaders, they're all just bullies. They need to push people down to feel strong. If you aren't scared of them, they don't have any power over you.”

“But what if he attacks you?” Finn asked, “You're not trained in the Force yet.”

“Neither is he. Besides, I survived with nothing but my staff and my wits for a decade in the desert. I'll be fine.”

Poe’s jaw clenched. He’d hate to have her be alone with that man, but he didn't want to hurt Rey’s pride. She seemed absolutely set on it. Who was he to say no?

“Fine. But if anything happens, you come get us, alright? I don't want you getting hurt.”

Rey nodded. “I promise I'll be okay.” She finished her meal and went to dispose of her waste.

 

**•••**

 

About half an hour later, Rey approached Hux’s cell, staff strapped to her back. She rapped against the wall gently. “Hey there. I heard you gave Poe Dameron one heck of a fright.”

The General stared at her from where he was sitting on the floor, mouth pressed into a flat line.

“I'm here to be your replacement Ben for the time being.”

Hux looked at her, incredulous, as she started to gather up his plates. Rey could almost feel his eyes on her as she started to head out.

It wasn't until she had entered the mess hall that she realised that she never felt threatened by his presence. He was silent, which was odd, but he seemed harmless enough. He didn't seem like bad company. Perhaps this was why Ben spent so much time with him.

 

**•••**

 

Lunch was light, a thin, watery broth with some bread, but Rey was thankful for it. She was thankful, really, for any food that wasn't ration powder. That really was the best part of being here. The food was varied and usually fresh and everything was so _green_. It was a far cry from Jakku and she loved it.

She gently placed the tray down in front of the prisoner and smiled at him. “Good afternoon!”

Hux’s eyes flicked up to meet hers before looking at the food. He slipped his hands through the bars and gently pushed it closer to himself.

Rey sat on the floor, cross legged, with another tray of food balanced on her lap. “I hope you don’t mind if I eat with you. It’s easier than having to make two trips down here.”

He looked at her for a moment, an expression of annoyance flickering across his face.

Rey crossed her arms and pouted. “You let Ben do it.”

He snorted as he ripped the bread apart and dipped it in the soup.

Rey smiled to herself. At least he was eating. That was an improvement. She started to eat the soup, carefully spooning the watery liquid into her mouth. It was largely tasteless, but it _was_  food. Her eyes flicked over to Hux, who was still eating. He wasn't staring at her like a dead fish anymore, so that was progress, at least.

After a few minutes, finished up her soup and put her tray on the ground in front of her. She started to rip apart her bread.

Hux looked up at her before pushing his remaining food through the slit in the cell.

“What? Not hungry?”

He sat back, arms crossed.

“Alright, then. Guess you don't have much of an appetite.”

Rey continued to eat, silent, as Hux curled up on the bed, facing away from her. As she finished her lunch, she looked over at the prisoner. “What, exactly, do you do all day?”

He looked back at her and shrugged. 

“Do you… want something to keep your mind occupied?”

He shrugged again, turning back to look at the wall.

Rey crossed her arms. “Well, if you're so ambivalent about it, I hope you won't complain when I help you.”

 

**•••**

 

Rey came back for dinner with a tray of food and a chess board she’d stolen from Poe’s room, the old fashioned kind without holographic pieces.

She placed the tray down in front of him and slid it through the slot on the door. Rey kneeled down, trying to get Hux’s attention.

“Do you know how to play chess?”

Hux’s eyes flicked up to her, before looking down at his dinner: a small piece of meat with boiled vegetables on the side. He reached out and grabbed his fork.

“If I start a game, will you play against me?”

He looked up at her again, eyes meeting hers for longer this time.

“I won't go easy on you. I used to play in bars for a few extra credits when I needed them.”

She pushed the board into Hux’s cell and set up the pieces using the Force.

The prisoner stared at her. His grey eyes were wide and he jumped back.

Rey could feel his fear like a cold breeze through the holding cell. She held her hand up, trying to calm him down.

“I'm not going to hurt you. I don't know why you're scared, but the Force… I'm not going to use it to hurt you.” She wrung her hands on impulse. “I don't even really know what it is, but I've been getting a bit more practice with it lately.”

Hux stared at her, breathing heavily, his expression steeled.

She leaned forward and looked him in the eye. “The worst thing I'll do is drop a piece once or twice. I swear.”

Hux nodded slowly, straightening his posture. He never took his eyes off her.

“You can trust me. Did I hurt you before you knew I had the Force?”

His eyes flicked from her to the table, then back to her.

“Why would I hurt you now?”

He blinked, then moved one of his pawns.

Rey smiled and did the same with the Force. “I guess you've accepted my challenge.”

Neither of them were really playing to win, taking risks and trying to bring out the other’s strategy. Rey was surprisingly devious, using a series of moves to try and egg Hux into responding the way she wanted him to. He took the bait a few more times than he cared to admit, only to pay dearly. Hux was a bit more transparent, but it only made his misdirection more subtle and unexpected.

By the time they were both done eating, they’d finished one game and started another. Rey looked at the dirty dishes.

“I think that’s enough for now. I should really be getting back to business, you know?”

Hux sighed and pushed his plates towards her.

She laughed nervously to herself. “Yeah, I’m sorry to leave. Poe’s going to teach me to fly an X-Wing and Finn and I were planning on sparring. I’ll be back in the morning, though.” She picked up all of Hux’s dirty dishes and made her way out of the holding cell.

 

**•••**

 

They continued like that throughout the days of Ben’s absence, spending their meals playing chess in silence (aside from the occasional frustrated or victorious vocalisation from Rey). Rey would also occasionally ramble about something Finn said while they were training (“He called me cute, can you believe that!?”) or how easily piloting came to her (“It might just be a Force thing, I don't know. I guess you probably aren't the best person to ask about that”).

Hux remained characteristically silent throughout both weeks, communicating only with the occasional raised eyebrow or disdainful expression. Not that Rey was surprised--it was exactly what she’d been expecting. It was either an honour thing or some sort of failed attempt to intimidate her. Or perhaps he was trying to avoid any sort of interrogation. Either way, Rey had just learned to accept that Hux was strangely silent.

They were mid-game when Rey decided to speak up.

“Ben’s on his way home.”

Hux stopped moving his piece and looked up at her, eyes wide.

“We got a comm from him and Han earlier this morning. They finished their trip and picked up some supplies as well. He should be back in a few standard days.”

The prisoner looked away, but for a second Rey swore she saw a smile on his face.

“Hey, it's still your turn.You have a chance to put me in check.”


	3. Part III: “Take Apart This Life”

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ben returns home with a surprise for Hux.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a heads up! There's some consent issues in this chapter. It's clear that they're both into it, but no verbal consent is given and both characters involved are a bit tipsy. If that doesn't bother you too much, feel free to continue reading!

Ben damn near crashed the Falcon in his haste to land on D’Qar. He hadn't been home in weeks, and he was ready to see everyone again. He’d commed Poe on his way home, to check in on everything. Apparently Rey and Hux had gotten along swimmingly, and both Rey and Finn had decided to put off Jedi training for a while. That was fair, Ben figured. They'd both been ripped from their lives pretty suddenly, and deserved a bit of stability before being thrown into the strange world of the Force.

Ben ran off the Falcon, pocketing his ignition key and leaving a disgruntled Han in his wake.

“You aren't even going to help me with this?” his father shouted after him.

“Nope,” Ben called back, already halfway to the mess.

As he opened the door, he was delighted to see that Poe had his back to him. Ben looked at Finn and Rey, a finger pressed to his lips. He crept closer to Poe before wrapping his arms around his shoulders and nuzzling his nose into the other man’s hair.

Poe shouted wordlessly in surprise and knocked his head into Ben’s nose before shoving him to the ground. He turned around, trying to get a good look at his attacker.

Ben chuckled and stood up, rubbing at his injured nose. “Leave it to me to fuck up my own welcome.”

Poe’s eyes widened. He threw his arms around Ben’s shoulders. “Shit, man, I thought you said you weren’t coming home for a couple more days.”

Ben smiled. “Yeah, that’s what we thought, but Dad and I were able to take some shortcuts and pull an all nighter, so here we are now.”

“Well, I’m glad to see you’re back, Benny.” Poe ruffled his friend’s hair. “Did you eat?”

Ben nodded. “On the Falcon, yeah. I was actually thinking of checking up on Hux.” He looked over at Rey. “You said he’s still not talking?”

Rey nodded and swallowed her food. “Yes. We’ve been playing chess, though.” She took another spoonful of soup. “I’m sure he’ll be happy to see you.”

**•••**

Ben made his way into the holding room, knocking on the door as he arrived. He crouched down to find Hux staring at the chess board, gently laying his finger on his own queen.

Ben gave him a beaming smile. “Guess who’s back.”

The prisoner looked up at him, a quick smile flashing across his face before a look of disdain replaced it. “Nice to see that the First Order hasn’t gotten to you yet. I was beginning to get worried.”

He put a hand to his chest in mock sincerity. “Why, General, I never knew how much you cared!” Ben’s expression steeled. “Seriously, though, I’ve been hearing pretty good things about you. Thanks for not scaring the piss out of Rey.”

“I wasn’t planning on scaring Dameron. Not my fault he’s so jumpy.”

Ben laughed. “I know, I know. I used to tell him scary stories as a kid. He’d jump whenever the wind blew too hard or a runyip ran by. You get an idea in his head and he’ll manage to scare himself half to death, I swear…” He paused a moment. “Anyway, because you’ve been so good, I _may_  have picked something up while Dad and I were ordering supplies. I hope you like Corellian whiskey.”

Hux’s head perked up. “How old?”

“Two years in synthesised wood. It’s probably cheaper than you’re used to, but it’s not exactly like my father and I frequent the most fancy places in the Galaxy. It was the best I could get for my credits.”

The General smiled sheepishly. “No… no, that’s fine. That’s... better than what I kept in my office, actually. I never liked natural wood barrels anyhow. The flavour’s too overpowering.”

Ben ran a hand through his hair. “I never really cared about that stuff. I try to get it aged at least a year, otherwise it has no kick, and synths are just cheaper. It pretty much all tastes the same to me.”

“Well, you _are_  the son of a scoundrel, after all.” Hux sat back and hummed. “Shame all that good whiskey has to go to waste on someone who can’t appreciate it.”

Ben smirked. “Maybe that’s why I want you to enjoy it with me.”

**•••**

It was long after dinner when Ben snuck the whiskey and two clear, disposable glasses into Hux’s holding room.

He crouched down and put the bottle on the floor between them.

“Hey, sorry this took a while. Had to help my dad unload the Falcon, then Mom wanted to have dinner with us, then Poe wouldn't leave me alone… It was a lot.” He twisted the cap off the bottle and filled up both glasses. He held one out to Hux. “Anyway, join me for a drink?”

The prisoner eyed both glasses suspiciously. “Switch them first.”

Ben did as he said and looked up, slightly hurt by the other man’s request. “Do you really not trust me enough that you think I'd drug you?”

Hux held the glass to his lips. “Just a precaution.” He opened his mouth and let the amber liquid slide over his lips and tongue before swallowing. His tongue darted out to lick over his lips. Ben found himself thinking it was the most erotic thing he’d seen in a while. “You have good taste.”

Ben took a mouthful of whisky. It tasted of cloves and ginger and burned on the way down, with an intense after taste. That was one of the reasons he never really overindulged: good liquor always burned enough to make him pace himself. “Thank you. Though you can’t go wrong with Corellian whiskey.” Ben took another sip and looked the general in the eye. “Can’t go wrong with Corellians in general.” He smirked and gave Hux a wink.

Hux snickered and drained his cup. He held it out between the bars. “Think I might have a bit more.”

Ben unscrewed the bottle and poured another reasonable portion into Hux’s cup.

“Don’t rush yourself too much, General,” he teased. Ben took another sip, feeling the warmth in his belly. Hux was right, this _was_  good whiskey.

He noticed the General move closer to the bars as he brought the glass to his lips again. “Don’t worry about it, Ben. I think I’m a bit more experienced in this field than you are.”

Ben swirled his glass. “I know, I’m just saying I don’t want you doing anything stupid because you couldn’t pace yourself.”

He downed the rest of the whiskey. “Trust me, I’m not going to be the one doing something stupid.”

“Oh, really? How many credits would you put on that?”

“Twenty.”

Hux chuckled. “Alright, deal.” He held out his glass again. “So, other than preying on my obvious vices, what _were_  you and Han doing on that little adventure of yours?”

Ben filled it up. “Well, it was Kessel, so there’s never a dull moment. I mean, now that there’s no Imperial presence in that area anymore, it’s mostly just local Security fleets. They’re not going to pursue you too far out of system, but you can get yourself into a bind if you don’t know what you’re doing.” He shrugged. “Honestly, the run itself was pretty quiet.”

“How many parsecs?”

“Fourteen.” Ben noticed a flicker of a smirk on Hux’s face, like he was planning some sort of scathing remark. “But we didn’t cut near The Maw to save distance, so we weren’t really trying.”

Hux snickered, leaning in closer. “‘I did poorly because I wasn’t trying?’ Like I haven’t heard that one before. It’s like I tell my subordinates, you should always be giving what you’re doing the best effort.”

Ben put his hands up in mock distress. “Well, I’m sorry. I wasn’t too worried about disappointing the First Order’s most infamous general.”

The prisoner laughed bitterly. “‘Most infamous,’ huh? Is that really what your rebellion thinks of me?”

Ben felt his face flush. “Well, I mean… No. I mean, I don’t… exactly know any other First Order generals. Not… personally, anyway. I-”

Hux held up a finger and cut him off. “Ben, I couldn’t care less about what your little rag tag band of rebels calls me behind my back.” He took another sip of the whiskey. “If anything, knowing your enemies are intimidated by you is a compliment. I can’t find it particularly insulting.”

Ben held a hand up, trying to hide how much he was blushing. “Still, I mean, I’m not scared of you.”

The General held the glass to his lips and snickered. “Maybe you should be.” He downed the rest of the cup in one gulp.

Ben smiled. “Nope.” He finished his glass and put it on the ground beside him. “I’ve been in enough seedy bars to know that there are much scarier people in the Galaxy than you. And my dad owes most of them money.”

The two sat in comfortable silence for a while, Ben occasionally fingering the side of his glass. They exchanged glances on occasion, but neither of them spoke.

Then, suddenly, the prisoner’s grey eyes flicked downwards, towards Ben’s lips. He was clearly tipsy, but Ben was too far gone to worry about it.

“You have a very nice mouth, you know,” he muttered, his speech still immaculate, even after three glasses of whiskey. “Could think of some things we could do with it.”

Ben could feel Hux’s hot breath ghosting against his lips from between the bars. “Care to show me what you mean?”

“Don’t play coy with me, Solo,” he chastised before pressing his lips to Ben’s.

The kiss wasn’t exactly expected, but Ben certainly wasn’t complaining, especially not with all the alcohol in his system. Hux’s lips were slightly chapped, but still pliant against his own. He tasted like the whiskey: warm, spiced, and slightly woody.

Ben kissed back, too drunk to care anymore. He wanted this, had wanted it for a while, and the alcohol had dulled any worry about the ramifications of kissing an enemy prisoner.

He felt a hand at the small of his back, gently pulling him closer. It wasn’t exactly a great experience, because his nose kept bumping up against the bars on the cell door and the angle wasn’t particularly comfortable, but Ben found himself not really minding all that much. Maybe it was the whiskey or the fact that he genuinely liked Hux, maybe it was the way his lips tasted or the way his stubble rubbed against his lips (something he didn’t even know he liked), but it seemed to make up for having to press himself against the cell door.

He felt Hux’s hand sneak downwards towards his ass and grab at it.

Ben let out a squeak, not quite expecting that (and not really enjoying it, either).

Hux mumbled an apology against his lips and removed his hand.

The General pulled back, looking into Ben’s eyes. He smirked. “Guess I owe you twenty credits, huh?”

“But does that count as something stupid?”

Hux thought for a moment, his face twisted into deep focus. “Good point. Ask me how I feel in the morning.”

**•••**

Ben returned to his room in the barracks. He was feeling alright, despite the drinking. A bit loose, and giddy from the kiss, but he probably wouldn't be hungover in the morning.

He went through his usual routine: threw his jacket on the bed, plugged in his comm, hung up his--

Shit.

His keys.

He slid his hand into his back pocket, but his ignition keys weren’t there. He tried the other pocket, his front pockets, his coat, nothing.

He knew he’d picked them up once he landed, and he couldn't think of any reason to give them to someone. The only person he could think of that had even been close to his back pocket was--

That bastard.

Han was right, Hux wasn’t good people. He should’ve known better than to get alcohol involved. His original intention was just to have fun like adults and show him that he could feel safe with the Resistance, not to be robbed and taken advantage of. And now he ran the risk of losing his dad’s ship in the process!

Stupid. Stupid. Stupid.

He grabbed his blaster and started to head towards the shipyard, mentally kicking himself in the process.

It wasn’t too difficult to find the Falcon: she was the biggest thing on the landing pad and her pale exterior shone in the starlight.

Hux’s black uniform was easy to spot against the ship’s bright glow. He was preoccupied with trying to open the hatch, fingering the space around the door to try and open it.

Something about that made Ben’s blood boil (and the alcohol certainly didn’t help things). It wasn’t just the fact that Hux was escaping, no, it was the way he seemed not to care about stealing the Falcon, the same ship that Ben had learned to pilot in, the same ship and Han had nearly died in countless times. Sure, if he’d nicked an X Wing, it would’ve sucked, but those were largely replaceable. There has never been a ship like the Millennium Falcon and there would never be again.

Ben gritted his teeth and turned the safety off his blaster. He planted his feet firmly in the ground and pointed it at Hux.

“How dare you!”

The General jumped, staring at Ben.

“I should have known I couldn’t trust you! I try to do something nice for you and you take advantage of me like this!?”

Hux crossed his arms and leaned against the side of the ship. “Well, it’s not exactly like I got to the top by being _nice_ , you know.”

“But you didn’t--” There was a part of him that was ready to burst into tears. That was another reason he hated drinking. He was an emotional wreck when he was drunk. He took a deep breath and tried to fortify his voice. “You didn’t have to do this to me!”

“Did you really think I was going to stay here? How stupid are you, Solo?”

“I thought you’d want to stay with me!”

Hux laughed, bitter and empty. “Look, you're cute, Ben. But I'm not going to give up my livelihood for you.”

“I thought maybe if I could show you how good the Resistance is, you’d want to stay!” Ben tossed the blaster to the ground. He balled his hands and stared at Hux, baring his teeth. “I guess I was wrong,” he growled. “I never should have trusted the son of an Imperial dictator.”

“Well, I’m sorry you had to learn that the hard way.” His voice was lilting and proper, but still icey cold. His face twisted into a scowl. “I thought a son of so-called ‘rebel heroes’ would be better than this. However _did_  you manage to survive the Galaxy’s seedy underbelly without the guidance of dear old dad?”

Ben charged at him. He didn’t even spare a thought, didn’t think about how it was probably a terrible idea to lunge unarmed at a trained soldier or how Hux might have some sort of weapon on him, it was like his body had a mind of its own.

He knocked the smaller man flat on his back and heard some sort of impact against the hull of the Falcon. Using his heavier weight to his advantage, Ben pinned him down and struck him with an open palm.

He wasn’t even really fully aware of his actions, just let the fury drive him. He knew he was yelling, he could feel his hands making impact on something, but his entire vision was just red.

Ben felt a tear running down his cheek, which served to snap him out of his trance.

Hux’s face was bloody. He’d managed to split his lip and had hit him so hard his nose was bleeding.

Ben took a moment to stare at what he’d done. “Shit, Hux, I-”

He was cut off by a handful of sand to the face. A sudden impact to his stomach brought him to the ground, crying out in pain. Ben felt Hux repeatedly kick him in the abdomen wherever he could find purchase.

He’d never seen an Imperial officer fight this dirty. Hell, he’d seen cage fights less brutal. Those academy records definitely had one thing right: Hux wasn’t someone you wanted to throw down with.

“Stop! Stop!” he shouted, his voice barely audible. “You can’t even fly the Falcon on your own!”

There was a pause, then the sound of a heavy boot stepping into the dust. “What?” Not even the General’s posh accent could hide his disbelief.

“No one can. Not me, not dad, not even Chewie.” Ben sat up and rubbed the dirt and tears out of his eyes. “A big freighter like that needs a copilot. You couldn’t even get offworld even if you’d managed to get inside. You’d… fly the damn thing into the woods or something.” There was a massive pain starting to blossom in his chest. He hoped that Hux hadn’t broken a rib or something.

“What the Hell am I supposed to do!?”

“I don’t know. Get to medical? Your face looks like shit.” He laughed humourlessly, which only worsened the pain in his chest. “You did a number on me too, though. Could you help me up?”

Hux wiped some of the blood from his face onto his sleeve and reluctantly extended a gloved hand to Ben.

He straightened up, only to feel an excruciating pain in his right side. “Fuck, I think you broke a rib.”

“Well you fucked up my face! And I think I got a concussion, hitting my head against that piece of crap!”

“I only attacked you because you talked shit about my parents!”

“You did the same for mine!”

Ben was about to say something when another sharp pain from his chest reminded him of why he was still hunched over. “Let’s call it even, then. Or say I was in the wrong, I don’t care. I can’t get to medical on my own like this!”

Hux sighed and knelt down. “You can lean on my shoulder, if it’ll stop you from laying on the ground and whining about how awful I am.”

Ben rolled his eyes and swung an arm over Hux’s shoulders. Their size difference was almost comical, to the point where Ben worried a bit over accidentally tipping Hux over with his body weight. “Thanks.”

“Now which way to medical?”

**•••**

They both arrived at the medcentre, only to find the place completely shut down.

Which made sense, of course. It was three in the morning, and no being should be awake at this time. He could comm Doctor Kalonia, since it was an emergency. He reached into his back pocket, to find a strange void where his commlink should be.

He’d left it charging in his room. Of course.

He leaned over Hux’s shoulder and punched in his access code, hopefully fast enough that Hux wouldn't be able to see all the numbers.

“Where's the doctor?” he asked, looking into the darkened room. A couple of the overhead lights flickered awake, revealing an eerily empty space, lined with cots and medical supplies.

“Asleep, probably. It's way too late for anyone to be up if they know what’s good for them.”

Hux started into the room and deposited Ben onto a nearby cot. “Why are _you_  up this late?”

Ben laughed bitterly. “Obviously, I don't know what good for me.” He pointed to one of the cabinets. “Go grab a sterilisation towelette. I should wipe off your face to see how bad things are. And bacta. We’re gonna need bacta.”

Hux nodded and rifled around in the cabinet. He came back with the necessary supplies and put them on the table next to Ben’s cot.

Ben moved over to unwrap the towelette. It hurt like a bitch until he returned to his laying position. He beckoned Hux over. “Come on, you look like Hell. Let me help you.”

Hux knelt down and his face to Ben’s.

He started to wipe away the blood, most of which had started to dry up and crust over.

The full extent of Hux’s injuries weren't too severe: his nose was bleeding, but not broken, he had a handful of bruises smattered about his face, and his bottom lip was split down the middle. Ben leaned over and grabbed a tube of bacta paste. Hux had given him a rather low-dose salve, but it would do. He squoze out a small glob of the glowing paste onto his finger and held it up to Hux’s injuries.

“Alright, this might feel a little weird, and I’m going to be touching your injuries-”

“Ben, I’ve had bacta applied before.”

Ben blushed. “I know, I know, but I feel weird touching your face when it’s been injured like this.” He was going to say “especially when I’m responsible”, but thought better of it.

“If you can’t do it, grab me a mirror and I can do it myself.”

Ben rolled his eyes and dabbed his finger in the salve. “Alright, alright, I can handle it. I’m a big boy.” He gently touched the bacta to the cut on Hux’s lip.

Ben felt the other man’s lip quiver as he made contact. He’d had bacta applied enough after the occasional bar fight to know that it didn’t hurt (and even felt pleasantly warm), but the pressure certainly seemed to irritate his wound a bit.

He shushed Hux and muttered “Don’t worry, I’m just here to help,” the way his mother had when she’d healed his skinned knees as a kid. He’d followed Poe around like a puppy back then, constantly trying to do everything with him, even the incredibly stupid things that always seemed to end up with the two of them getting injured and nearly giving Leia a heart attack.

He moved on to the bruise on his cheekbone, gently rubbing the paste into Hux’s skin. He then moved onto the blotch on his forehead before stopping at his nose. “Can you even apply bacta to a bloody nose?”

Hux shrugged. “It’s not broken. I’ve walked off worse.”

“Are you sure you don’t want me to try?”

“If it’s stopped bleeding, it’s probably fine.” He gestured to Ben. “Now take your shirt off so I can get a look at you.”

Ben chuckled. “Stars, Hux, you’re so forward.” He shucked off his jacket before wincing in pain as he bent down to grasp the hem of his shirt.

He saw Hux grimace as he looked at his handiwork. The General put a hand through his hair. “Ben, I-”

Ben let out a humourless laugh. “Is it bad?”

“I… may have gone a bit overboard.” He squoze some bacta onto his hand and started to rub at the tender bruises on his chest. Although the pressure made his bruises hurt more, the warm sensation of bacta was quite pleasant. “I think this strength should be alright for most of the bruises, but this--” he pressed gently on Ben’s chest, causing him to whimper, “--might require something a bit stronger. Is that where you think your rib is broken?”

Ben nods. “Hurts like a bitch.”

Hux gave him a pitying glance. “I’m sorry. I really shouldn’t have overdone it like this.” He went back to rubbing the bacta on his wounds. “Is there anything stronger I could give you? To help with the pain?”

“Acetaminophen in the far right cabinet, bacta patches should be in the drawer below it. You can fill a cup with water too.”

Hux did as Ben said and came over with an adhesive patch, med tab, and a disposable cup filled with water. “Think you can sit up far enough to drink?”

Ben swiped the cup from Hux’s hands. “I think I can get it, thanks.” He slowly sat up, trying not to agitate his rib too much, and popped the med tab into his mouth before taking a gulp of the water.

Hux had already unwrapped the patch and removed the paper on the back, revealing the adhesive before gently putting it over Ben’s broken rib. It was amazingly soothing, just to have something warm on top of that awful injury.

Ben laid back down onto the cot and closed his eyes. “Thanks. You really… didn’t have to do that.”

Ben felt a second weight on the mattress beside him. Hux must’ve sat down. “Yes I did. It was my poorly-thought-out plan that made you end up like this. It wasn’t my intention.”

There were a few moments of silence as Ben waited for the painkillers to set in and help dull the pain in his chest. When it seemed like that wasn’t going to happen, he spoke.

“Hux?”

“What?”

He took a deep breath, his rib penalising him for it. “When you kissed me in the jail. Were you only doing that to get my keys or..?”

Ben felt Hux shift positions on the cot. “What… What other motive were you thinking of?”

“Do I have to spell it out for you?” Silence. “Fine, I have a crush on you, okay? I think you’re one of the brightest, most clever people I know and you’re really cute and maybe I want to run my fingers through your hair and mess it up a bunch.” Hux didn’t seem to react. “I thought that maybe… if I was nice to you… you’d want to join the Resistance, or at least comply with Mom, but… I don’t know, the whole thing was stupid. I just didn’t want us to be enemies anymore and I’ve gone and made an ass of myself.”

After what felt like an eternity of silence, Ben finally opened his eyes. “I pour my goddamn heart out to you and you don’t even--”

Hux was staring at him from the foot of his bed, bewildered and almost afraid.

“--say anything” he finished, his tone suddenly soft and distant.

“I…” He paused, taking a moment to touch Ben’s face. “Are you sure?”

“Of course I'm fucking sure! I don't exactly take shit like this lightly!”

“I… I don't really…”

Ben put a finger to Hux’s lips. “Do you like me?”

Hux’s entire face flushed. “What!?”

“Do you like me the way I like you? It's a yes or no question.”

“Well, yes but--”

Ben shushed him again. “And do you want to kiss again?”

Hux’s face flushed darker. “Well, I mean, I wouldn't be against it…”

“Then come over here and do it!” Sith Hells, it was like pulling teeth.

Hux laid on top of him, trying to use his arms to keep from putting weight on Ben’s injured rib. He brought his face within kissing distance of Ben and frowned.

“What?” Ben asked, impatient.

“Could I give you an IOU or something? I still have that split lip, you know. You might open it up again.”

Ben rolled his eyes. “Alright, alright.” He leaned in and put a kiss on the corner of Hux’s mouth. “You still owe me, though.”

Hux rolled onto his side, putting his weight on Ben’s uninjured ribs. “Duly noted.”

Ben threw an arm around the general’s shoulders and gently ran a hand through his hair. It was a bit oily, since it hadn’t been washed in a while, but it was soft and had grown out just enough to move satisfyingly under his fingers.

“So, what are you going to do now?” Ben asked. “You can't go back. You've said you want to kiss me. Which, I know, doesn't mean anything in terms of our relationship, but I'd like to think it means you might not want to leave.” He started to gently rub Hux’s shoulders.

“I don't know.” Hux pressed his face to Ben’s chest. “I'd rather just sleep.”

“You're going to have to know by the time you wake up.” He yawned and closed his eyes. “Mom’s gonna wanna know how you got out.”

**•••**

“Ben!”

His mother’s voice was the first thing he heard when he woke up.

It wasn't the first time he’d woken up like this, of course. There had been plenty of times where Leia had felt a need to wake her son up personally, usually after learning about some bad decision or drunken escapade.

On reflex alone, Ben’s eyes snapped open and he shot up, causing a horrid pain in his side.

Right, Hux, the medbay, the fight. His rib.

He cringed, laying a hand over the bacta patch. “Hey, mom. Uh… I should probably explain.”

Leia’s face was almost unreadable. Perhaps it would’ve scared someone else, how stern she looked, but Ben knew better. She didn’t know what to make of the situation (like that one time she found him and Poe stuck in a ditch covered in bee stings. Now _that_  had been a fun night).

“Ben, could you explain what happened last night? Why Hux is out of his cell and why you gave Doctor Kalonia a heart attack when she came in this morning?” Her tone was even, and she was using her concerned mom voice. He couldn’t tell whether or not she had already heard rumours about what had happened in the shipyard, but he wasn’t planning on deceiving her. The problem with having a Force-Sensitive mother was that she could intuit when you were lying, so it was best not to try.

“Sorry about that.” He then explained his side of the story, recounting the events in the cell block, how Hux had robbed him of the Falcon’s keys (choosing to leave out the alcohol, because having to actually say out loud that he’d chosen to have drinks with a First Order officer as a means of impressing him would legitimise that this was ever part of Ben’s thought process). He then went into the details of the conflict near the Falcon. “--and then I told him he couldn’t even fly the Falcon without a second pilot and then he took me to medical so we could tend our injuries. And then we both just kind of… fell asleep here, I guess. I don’t know, I was tired, it was three in the morning, and I was just ready to sleep everything off.”

Leia took a deep breath and exhaled sharply through her nose, a sign of exasperation. “Okay, so you ended up getting into a fist fight with a First Order general over a ship that he wouldn’t be able to fly, and then he took you to medical to patch you up afterwards?”

Ben nodded. “I mean, now that you say it out loud, it sounds really weird, but… I don’t know, that’s kind of what happened. I couldn’t walk all that well because I think my rib is broken, so he just kind of… brought me here.” He shrugged. “I guess he had a change of heart or something.”

Leia raised an eyebrow, clearly having understood that last part. Sometimes Ben swore his mother would have been an even better Jedi than Luke Skywalker himself. “Do you think he’d give up information to the Resistance?”

“I don’t know about that, but I think he understands that he’s stuck here, at least for a while. I asked him what he was going to do last night, but he didn’t really have a clear answer.” Ben felt his cheeks flush. “I mean, I think you can guess what I hope the answer’s gonna be.”

“And if we have to kill him?”

“I'd be willing to live with that. I wouldn't like it, but it's probably for the best.”

Leia nodded solemnly. “Now could you wake Hux up? I'd like a word with him.”

Ben placed a hand on Hux’s shoulder and gently jostled Hux awake. “Come on, buddy. Time to wake up, Mom has some questions for you.”

The general groaned softly at being awoken and threw an arm over his eyes.

Ben shoved him again. “Come on, this is important. Get up!”

Hux opened his eyes a crack, before going ramrod straight instantly. “General Organa!”

“Good morning, Hux.” Her face betrayed no emotion as she stared the prisoner down. Ben couldn’t tell, exactly, whether or not this seemed to scare him, but he knew his mother was good at this. “Would you mind telling me exactly how you got out of your cell last night?”

Hux took an audible breath. “We used to use the same model keypads on our jail cells, back when I worked in security. One of the pirates we captured figured out that if you jam a small piece of metal in the card slot, it causes the whole thing to short circuit and crash the system. It takes about a minute or two to recover, so you can kick the door open in that time.”

Leia nodded. “And then you would use the Falcon’s comm systems to contact someone in the Order and decide on a rendezvous point so you could join back up with your ship. Am I correct?”

“Yes, that was the plan, but obviously I ran into some… complications.”

“I understand. Now my question is, why didn’t you kill anyone?”

Hux’s stoicism seemed to completely shatter. “What!?”

Leia looked out the window, towards the base. “Surely you’ve noticed that our security is rather lax. You were able to escape without too much difficulty, and it’s clear that we aren’t used to having many prisoners, especially not ones as volatile as you. Why not pick off a few members of our high command before you leave? Myself and General Solo would be the obvious options. Offing Commander Dameron would leave a power vaccuum not easily filled, and we have two future Jedi on the premises as well, who would surely give your troops Hell once their training was complete. If you were clever, which I know you are, General, you could’ve had this war won in a night.” She lowered her eyes. “Unless there was a good reason you didn’t kill us all in our sleep.”

Hux looked taken aback. “I…” He set his jaw. “It definitely crossed my mind.”

“And why didn’t you do it?”

Hux dug his fingernails into his palms. “I don’t know, honestly. For some reason, I couldn’t find the idea appealing.”

Leia leaned in, looking Hux over curiously. “Do you want to join the Resistance?”

He straightened. “What!? No, of course not!”

“If you're so loyal to the First Order, why didn't you do something when you had the chance?”

“I told you, I don't know! Why is this so important to you!?”

“You could be a valuable informant, if you'd join us,” Leia explained. Her tone was gentle, like she didn't want to scare him. “It's your choice, of course, but we’ll be locking you up again if you decline.”

“I figured.” He took a few beats, hand to his mouth in thought. “What happens if I outlive my usefulness?”

“Excuse me?”

“If the information I can give isn't current or useful anymore, what will you do with me?”

“If that ever happens, you'd probably stay on base. I wouldn't let you go completely, since we’d probably need your help for peace negotiations. You know the Order, you know what they want, my guess is you'd be invaluable. After that, you'd be free to go, assuming we’re all still alive.”

Hux put a hand to his neck. “You mean, you wouldn't kill me?”

“No. That would be pointless.”

“I don't believe you.”

“You have my word, General.”

“And if I refused to give up information, what would you do?”

“We’d accept any information you'd give up voluntarily.”

“You dodged the question. Would you torture me?”

Leia shook her head. “No, we might question you, but I don’t believe in torture. You give up a piece of your humanity for information that isn’t even true most of the time. There’s no point in it.”

Hux hid his head in his hands. “Could I… have some time to think this over?”

General Organa pulled out her comm. “Han, could you bring me a pair of binders?”

**•••**

Hux was put in his cell by Ben and Han, hands bound behind his back. Han left after Hux was safely imprisoned, leaving Ben alone.

Ben keyed in the lock command for the door. He turned away and started to head out.

“Ben.” Hux said his name calmly, like it was just a normal part of conversation, but it made Ben’s heart skip a few beats.

He turned around and stood just in front of the cell door. “What’s up?”

“Look, if the situation were reversed and you had received this same type of offer from the First Order, would you take it? Would you sell out the people you once worked with for the sake of your own freedom?”

“No, I’d sooner die.” His response was automatic, never missing a beat. “ _But_  I don’t think those situations are exactly comparable. The Resistance is my family. My mom runs the place, my dad helps fund the whole thing, the pilots and even some of the members of high command are like my siblings. We live together, sleep in the same buildings, eat in the same mess. Even if I don’t get along with everyone, I’d still feel awful if I’d let something happen to them.”

Hux squinted. “So you’re saying I shouldn’t?”

“No, I’m saying _I_  wouldn’t, in that situation you just described. I don’t really know what your relationship is to the Order or what betraying them would mean to you. I think it’d be different for everyone, honestly.” He shrugged. “Though if you want my honest opinion, I think you should do it. For purely selfish reasons, obviously. I can’t see us losing this war, and I don’t want you to be on the wrong side of it.”

Hux averted his eyes. “I really don’t know what to do. I feel like no matter which option I take, I lose.”

“The way I see it, we’ve kind of got two choices here: You betray the Order for your own freedom or you don’t help the Resistance in exchange for your life, assuming the Order wins. You either stay a Resistance member or go back to the Order--”

“Do you really believe that? Would Leia Organa really choose not to kill someone who’s dedicated their entire life to destroying what she stood for?”

Ben took a breath. “Hux, I don’t know if you realise this, but that’s just not the type of person my mom is. Yes, you’re Order and you’re important, clearly, but right now you’re completely helpless. Unless you can prove yourself to be a genuine threat to the Resistance, my mom isn’t going to hurt you. I’m sorry if that’s an insult, but it’s true. You’re brilliant, but you can’t do much damage with your hands bound and no blaster.”

“I don’t know if I can believe that, but I guess that’s fair.”

“Hux.” Ben slipped a couple fingers between the gaps in the bar and gently touched the general’s cheek, “I’m not going to let anyone mistreat you, okay? You might get a rightfully-deserved ass whooping every once in a while, but no one is going to kill you or hurt you when you can’t fight back. I’m going to make sure of that.”

He felt Hux lean into his fingertips. “I appreciate that, Ben, but I'm afraid you might be the exception. I don't know how willing the Resistance would be to accept my change in heart.”

“If you help us, there's going to be no doubt you're on our side. People might not like your presence, but no one’s going to think you're a traitor.”

“But I am a traitor!” Hux shot back, clearly distraught. “Here I am entertaining the idea of spilling the Order’s secrets to a ragtag band of terrorists!”

Ben bristled before realising something: Hux didn't mean that, at least not as a personal slight against him. This was just what the Order thought of them, what Hux was taught to believe. Granted, he didn't like people insulting his family, but they could work on that. Right now, in fact.

“Is that honestly what you think of us?” he gently tilted Hux’s face towards him. “Do you really think I'm a terrorist?”

Hux’s expression softened as he back tracked. “Well, I didn't mean it personally. You know that, right?”

“Great, so you think my mother is a terrorist? My father? My best friend?”

His intense expression returned with a blink. “Your family has done immense damages to my home. So yes, I do consider Generals Organa and Solo and Commander Dameron some of the worst terrorists the Order has seen.”

Ben laughed gently. “Dude, you scared the shit out of Poe by holding a spoon. Do you really think so little of your Order that he’d be a threat to it?”

“Well I…” He crossed his arms. “Clearly you've never seen him in an X-Wing.”

“Alright, do you think Rey is a terrorist?”

Hux perked up at that. “Rey?”

“Yeah, that teenaged scavenger who gave your ‘troopers Hell on Jakku. The same scavenger who played chess with you because she felt bad that you had nothing to do. What do you think of her?”

Hux frowned. “I feel like you're trying to get a point across here.”

“My point is, I know why you didn't kill us in our sleep. You didn't _want_  to. Despite what you say, you like me, you like Rey, Hell, you might even like Poe. You care about the Order, but you don't want to hurt the people who've been good to you, even though you've branded them as terrorists. You've become used to seeing is as caricatures of all that's wrong with the Galaxy, that you can't handle it when we act like actual people.”

“Brilliant deduction! Now, what the Hell does this have to do with me betraying the Order?”

“I'm getting to that. What do you think of the Order, anyhow? Not the actual philosophy, mind you, just the people. Do you have friends? Are they good to you? Or are people only interested in you for your position?”

Hux sat down, suddenly deep in thought. “Well, Captain Phasma and I have a very productive working relationship. And there are a few of my classmates who I’ve--” His face flushed. “--pursued relations with in the past.”

“But there’s no one you'd want to come home to at the end of the day? No one you'd like to chat with when you have time off?”

“I don't have time to make _friends_ , Ben. I have a ship to run.”

“Look, here's what I'm getting at: let's assume the Order wins this war. Congratulations, you have the superior philosophy, but when the military is downsized and you have more time on your hands, who will you be left with?”

Hux’s eyes flicked downwards. He was silent, but it was all the answer Ben needed.

“Do you think you'd be able to go back to your lonely existence after all this?”

Hux’s teeth worried at his injured lip. “I don't know.”

Ben placed his fingers under Hux’s chin, lifting his head so they were on eye level. “Do you think you've made your choice?”


	4. Part IV: “All the Lives We Lead Can Change”

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Three months later, Hux is finally able to move about the base freely.

It was three months before the Resistance trusted Hux enough to let him out of his cell. He was fairly certain Ben and Leia had wanted to let him out earlier, but he understood why they'd waited this long. He’d spent most of his time in strategy meetings, hands bound in front of him,  with the occasional disdained stare from a member of High Command.

It was probably deserved. He'd hurt every one of these people, even if he hadn't meant it personally.

He’d woken up one day to see Ben in front of his cell door. Strangely, he hadn’t brought breakfast or caf with him. 

“Why’d you show up empty handed?” Hux asked, his speech slurred with sleep.

“Do you want to come up with me?” he asked tentatively, eyeing Hux warily.

Hux nodded slowly. “Are you sure everyone would be comfortable with that?”

Ben fished his access card out of his pocket and swiped it against the lock. “Don’t worry. If they give you any shit, I’ll be here.” He walked in an extended a hand to Hux. “So, will you come with me?”

Hux gently gripped Ben’s offered hand with his own (now bare, since he’d stopped wearing his uniform aside from his greatcoat, which he mostly used as an extra blanket). He stood up, not letting go of Ben’s hand. “Alright. But you better not leave my side.”

Ben laughed. “Sounds good to me. I wouldn't want to leave you alone, anyway.”

 

**•••**

 

They were quite a sight as they entered the mess hall: the Resistance’s darling son and a former First Order officer, walking into the mess together. Ben’s relationship with Hux was common knowledge among the Resistance members, but it was rare to see them out in the open like this. More often than not, Hux was either in his cell or in the War Room in binders.

Most people were discreet about it, but they definitely stared. Their expressions were mostly of shock and fear at this dangerous, potential war criminal being allowed to mingle with the masses.

Hux hated it, being gawked at like some sort of sideshow attraction. It was the same expression younger students would give him back on Arkanis, the Commandant’s son who'd killed more classmates outside of the ring than in it. He felt a flutter of panic rise in his chest.

Ben tightened his grip on Hux’s hand and leaned in to speak directly in his ear. “If you'd rather eat outside, let me know.” He kept his voice low, presumably trying to give Hux some privacy.

Hux nodded and leaned to him. “I'm fine right now, don't worry.”

“I know, I'm not worried.” Ben kissed his cheek. “Just keep me in the loop.”

They took a seat on the far end of the mess at a table together. Ben slowly let Hux’s hand go.

“I’ve got a surprise for you after breakfast, if you think you’re ready to have free range of the base,” Ben said, lazily draping an arm around the back of Hux’s chair. It was strangely comforting, having him so close. All Hux would have to do is shift slightly to the left and their legs would be touching. It was so different from sharing a meal from either side of a cell door, and Hux found he liked it very much.

Hux toyed with a stray napkin, trying to focus his nervous energy on something, anything. “I mean, I think I’ll be alright. I might have a bit of trouble finding my way around, since I don’t know the area all that well.” He paused and looked over at Ben, their faces close enough for them to kiss. “What I’m most worried about is whether or not your people would be okay with that. I mean, I know you and General Organa seem to be comfortable with my presence, but I’m not sure if everyone feels they can trust me.”

He felt Ben’s hand rub soothing circles at his shoulders and the nape of his neck. Ben always had an impeccable sense for when Hux’s nerves were getting the best of him, even though he supposedly lacked the Force.

Suddenly, a different voice rang out among the din of the mess hall, followed by a loud _thump_  of something on the table.

“I trust you.”

Hux’s head snapped up. Poe Dameron had taken a seat across from the two of them, wearing a t-shirt and sweatpants that were disheveled, as if they’d been slept in.

(His hair was more tousled than usual, like he hadn't gotten to fixing it after waking up. Hux would be lying if he said he hadn't found it endearing.)

His tray was filled to the brim with food, clearly intended to share. He put it down in the centre of the table.

“You saved my life. Of course I trust you.”

Hux remembered that. He'd been in the war room, looking over a dogfight between a relatively large Order ship. Dameron had wanted to engage the larger vessel, but Hux remembered that it was armed with torpedoes. Poe had been directly in the ship’s range before Leia had called off the attack.

He would’ve been the first one gunned down.

Needless to say, it had made the pilots look at him differently.

Hux looked around the mess, at everyone who hadn’t gotten near him, now that he was out of binders. “I’m afraid you might be the only one.” Even the pilots whose commander he’d saved still seemed uncomfortable in his presence.

Poe followed Hux’s gaze towards the table he usually sat at, where the rest of the pilots were joking and laughing loudly. He returned to meet Hux’s eyes. “Don’t worry about it. They’ll come around eventually. They all fell in love with Finn when he first got here. It might just take some time.”

“Yes, but Finn was forced into the Stormtrooper programme as an infant. He was brainwashed, a victim. I was one of the most powerful men in the Order! Sometimes I just feel like no matter what I do, it’s not enough to make up for the things I’ve done to you.”

Ben squeezed his hand tighter and looked over at Hux. “I think you’re a victim of the Order too, in a way. You’re the son of a high-ranking Imperial officer, spoon-fed propaganda since you were in the womb, you had no concept of what the world outside the Order was like.” Ben reached over and grabbed a fruit off the tray. “I mean, it’s true that Finn didn’t consciously choose to join the Order the way you did, but what the Hell kind of life were they expecting you to lead, with a childhood like that?” He released Hux’s hand and started to peel off the fruit’s tough skin, revealing a soft, bright orange interior. He pulled off a chunk with his fingers. “Want some? I don’t think you’ve tried these yet. They’re an import from Endor.”

“Alright, sure.” He held out his hand, expecting Ben to just drop it in his palm. Instead, the other man brought the piece of fruit to his lips. Hux felt his face flush, but he still opened his mouth and closed his lips around Ben’s fingers, sucking lightly. Perhaps he _was_  showing off a little.

The fruit itself was amazing. Sweet, but not in a way that was too overpowering, and with an interesting undertaste he couldn’t quite identify, but definitely liked.

Poe groaned. “You two are disgusting.”

Ben stuck his tongue out. “Like you’d be any better if Finn and Rey were here.”

“Yes, but while they’re in Jedi training, I can’t be gross with them, so I also can’t be a hypocrite.” He laughed and grabbed a handful of berries from the centre of the table.

“Well, I guess you’ll just have to deal with it for now.” Ben kissed Hux’s cheek, causing his face to flush.

 

**•••**

 

After breakfast, Ben lead Hux out of the mess hall, holding his hand.

(Which Hux liked quite a bit. Though he'd never admit it to anyone else, he enjoyed Ben’s comforting presence. He predicted that it also caused the Resistance to trust him a bit more, since Ben, the son of two Rebel heroes, seemed to trust this former enemy.)

“I've got a surprise for you, come on!” Ben was moving quickly, almost pulling Hux behind him. “I think you'll like it.”

He lead Hux away from the barracks and towards the shipyard. There were a few pilots who had left breakfast early to polish up their X-Wings and do diagnostic checks to ensure they were in fighting condition.

There was a small building on the far side of the landing strip that Hux had never really been in. Ben knocked on the door, standing on the tips of his toes. Hux had grown to understand that this usually meant that he was very excited about something.

It didn't take him long to figure out exactly what.

Han Solo opened the door, smears of grease up his arms and under his fingernails, and a small collection of tools adorning his belt. He rubbed his hands together. “So, Benny tells me you like machines, huh?”

Hux nodded slowly, not exactly sure where this was going.

“You ever fixed up an X-Wing before?”

Hux opened his mouth, trying to answer Han’s question, but his words seemed to fail him. He could feel his nerves thrumming, causing a haze over his thoughts. After spending what felt like an hour gaping like a fish, he stuttered out a “I- I can’t say I have. We didn’t exactly… have a lot of X-Wings in the Order, sir.”

Han freed a hydrospanner from his tool belt and held one out to Hux. “You wanna learn?”

“I-” He looked to Ben, who was smiling approvingly. “Did _you_  do this?”

“Hey, don’t give Ben all the credit. I really needed the help.” Han gestured annoyedly to the expansive garage, full of ships in various states of disrepair. “It’s not exactly like I’m in a position to turn down help here.”

Ben jerked his head towards the shipyard. “Go on, have a look around. I think you’ll like it here.”

Hux started walking towards the ships, gently letting go of Ben’s hand. He ran his fingers along the shell of Poe’s X-Wing, feeling the rough shape of blast impacts. Three months ago, he would have been overjoyed to see this thing shot from the sky, but now the burn scars filled him with a sense of dread. He looked back towards Han. “Do you… do you really trust me with this?”

Han raised an eyebrow. “Son, if it weren't for you, half of these ships wouldn't be flight worthy anymore. If you wanted to destroy us, I think you would have already.”

Hux couldn’t even find the words. It baffled him, exactly how much the Resistance seemed to trust and care about him, despite that he’d spent most of his life doing everything in his power to make their lives Hell. They’d trusted him with their plans, their son, and now their fleet. It was just too much for Hux to even really understand.

He felt tears start to well up in his eyes, and immediately turned his face down. “Thank you. I… don’t know what else to say.” His voice was barely more than a whisper. He felt a tear roll down his cheek and cursed himself for being so overwhelmed.

Hux felt a strong pair of arms wrap around him. Ben. “You don’t have to say anything else. You’ve helped us so much already, this is the least we can do.” He gave a peck to Hux’s cheek before releasing him. “Now, I have to go help Poe run some drills. I’ll be back at the end of the day to see how you’re doing, okay?”

Hux nodded slowly and watched as Ben made his way out of the building. He took a moment to wipe his eyes before looking over the X-Wing in front of him.

Han walked over and placed a toolbox in his hands. “Come on, kid, let me show you how to fix a hyperdrive.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks everyone so much for reading, commenting, and leaving kudos. Y'all are really just the best! I can't express how thankful I am that you guys took the time to actually read this.
> 
> It's my first time writing for Star Wars fandom, and the response has just been incredible. This monster literally just started out as a little warm up that just exploded into an over 10k nightmare that just didn't want to end. I literally had to force myself to stop writing here, otherwise it wasn't going to end. I'm so glad that people have enjoyed the last three chapters, and I hope this one didn't disappoint!
> 
> Thanks again!

**Author's Note:**

> (Also, if you're wondering what Hux is referencing in this chapter, it's [ this meme-worthy clip from A New Hope ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mMNBStxTfDU).)
> 
> Y'all can hit me up over on my [ tumblr ](http://aro-ackermans.tumblr.com/).
> 
> EDIT: This bitch takes [ commissions](https://aro-ackermans.tumblr.com/post/160970900544/hey-everyone-now-that-i-am-officially-no-longer).


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